For his work encouraging safe sex and positive self-esteem among his fellow adolescents, Brooklyn teen Manny Leyva is NY1's New Yorker of the Week.

NY1, a 24-hour news channel, honors one outstanding New Yorker a week, and Leyva was the channel's Christmas-week pick. Leyva is the only openly gay teen at Brooklyn School for Collaborative Studies and one of the the founders of STEP, Students Together for Empowerment and Peace. The group meets once a week to discuss issues regarding sexuality, racism, and image. Levya also interns at Health and Education Alternatives for Teens, which provides assistance for HIV-positive kids and those at risk of becoming infected.